The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-20
TALK WITH THE BARK OFF.
SHALL GRAND JURIEs SPEAK OF EVILS
BY THE UPPER-TENDoM

What Mr.. Douglass Thinks OF Sec
Ond Class Editors---IIe Wants More
Light on Our Laws. and Asks
Some Questions which the Sill
preme Court Itself Could Scarcely
! Answer.
| Editor Press and Banner.
AS the question of transporting the prison
ers to the pcnitcntiary has Lccn settled to the
satisfaction Of the Medium and its chum the
.Ncirs Uad CDnrier, and all have agreed there
will b.: no need OF Il standing army, as Was at
one time thought To ho necessary for that pur-
pose, the only things being necessary to ac-
complish this herculean task are lccks. stalls,
box cars and balloons, or to send them by the
gravel train, thus saving the State from pecu-
MARY ruin, we will invite your attention to
Il few other matters, leaving this mOmcntous
question out Of the discussion.
| 1t wOnld be well for the people to consider
| how they are esteemed and thought OF by
some of the wOuld-hc political satraps that do
not desire that the mistakes or shortcomings
of our lawmakers, or judicial dehnerS should
be ventilated, and when we ask to have the
rules that are TO regulate us in the daily trans
actions of our lives made so that we can un-
dcrStand them, we are denOminatnd smart
| Alecks, talking of things that should be man
aged and regulated by our superiors, and OF
Which we know nothing. and Of which it is
unbccomng of common people To speak, and
which we are not expected to understand nor
| to meddle with, it is considered great piece
of impudence and impcrtinence for grand
| o
tendum circles OF officials, and for so doing
they arc rdiculed and beittled by number
OF second class editors that have not got
enough brains to see that they themselves do
not even understand the very rudiments OF
| the evils complained of, nor of the remedy
suggested. They have not even taken the
trouble to sec what was recommended before
they have jumped at conclusions in no wise
connected with the matter under consldera-
| ton. This careless and reckless way Of con-
slructing laws that do not mean what the
Legislature meant 10 express, Is the man
thing that needs correction, and is due TO this
superficial manner that seems TO have taken
possession of many of the editors, and their
editorials, like the laws, look seven ways for
before publishing, in case Of editorials, and
before their final passage, in case Of the laws.
Some of these editors have concluded that
we are in favor OF giving this committee of re-
vision legislative powers, while nothing OF
the sort is said or meant, but they are simply
10 explain the meaning of the bills so that
the Legislature may know what they are do
Ing, as 1t is self-evident that not one member
In ten of the Legislature ever examine the
meaning Of the bills they are voting on, and
If they know the meaning, OF many of the
laws now on the statute books or rather their
want of meaning they would certainly amend
them and not leave us in darkness for ten
years. We are for having the inconsistencies
and antiquities looked up every year, and
we at least think there is room for improve
ment. For instance, If n married woman'S t.
tie 10 land Is not good, the sooner we know 1t
the better. lfa married woman is not rcspon.
every irresponsible laborcr has u preferred
lien on the crops, 1T Is proper that 1t be
known. If by rendering money, debt is vr-
tually cancelled, VIC ought TO know it:
The Medium very sagcly suggests that the
way to save trouble Is to get n lawyer to exc.
cute or write up our mortgages for us, and
nus save expense and trouble. In the first
place Il lawyer would charge about as much
N a is a N
many cases would own it before the matter
was finally settled. And in the next place
lawyers papers are not bomb proof, as some OF
the most expensive cases on our dock cts were
engineered altogether by lawyers, and the
Judges have been unable to determine wheth-
CT some OF their papers are meant for titles or
for mortgages.
We did not impugn the motives either of
the Legislature or of the Courts, but called at
tention to evils that exist. Since the decision
Of the Courts in regard 10 married women's
ings that had to be abandoned on account Of
the uncertainty of the law, and some are de.
prived of employment on this account. Some
OF the editors think that there Is one great
preted, and that is it protects the wife against
the baneful Influence of her husband, while 1t
enables him more ctfcctually to impose on
others,
they take to be political dissatisfaction in our
views. There is nothing OF the sort. We de-
sire that our political leaders and rulers
should use more precaution in the execution
of their work, and give uS value received for
the emoluments we bcstow on them. We de-
sire them To understand that we want the
work they do for us TO be Of available value,
and above all we want them to understand
when they do shoddy work we will complain
and try to get others that will do better, and
we have had the check to tell them whereiH
their performances are short OF our expecta-
tions and we mean to do it every time they
fail to fill the bill of specifications. We want
light and not darkness. Those that are not
capable of throwing light on the subject are
Ing TO say and do not know how to say it keep
your mouth shut, but If you have any light to
shed let her roll. and obligc
&. A. DOUGLASS.